Tribal killings: Bandh paralyses Orissa

Tribal killings: Bandh paralyses Orissa - NDTV.com - News on Tribal killings: Bandh paralyses Orissa: "Orissa came to a standstill after opposition parties called for a statewide bandh to protest the killing of 12 adivasis in police firing in Kalinga Nagar.

The state also deployed its entire police and paramilitary forces to maintain law and order.

All schools and colleges in the state were shut, and road and rail transport were also affected. The BJP, BJD's alliance partner in the state, had extended its moral support to the bandh by going public in its disapproval of the firing.

And the political fallout of the bandh was seen in Delhi. The BJP sent its MPs to meet the party high command in the Capital. Of these, 16 are tribal MLAs who are in favour of withdrawing support. 16 of the BJP MPs are tribals, putting a lot of pressure on the party to part ways with the BJD.

The BJP has a significant support base in the tribal belt of Orissa, and the ground realities prompted the leaders to rush to Delhi. But the state dynamics don't always match the politics at the Centre. So, while the BJP high command has assured they will look into it, there's no question of parting ways with the BJD. For the BJP, which does not have too many state governments at the moment and a considerably weak NDA, it's a political necessity for the party at the moment to steer clear of any crisis in Orissa."